Rhythsetradio

Hi Everyone! I have some questions/concerns. It's kinda complicated between my professional and personal life but 90% profession. Basically I graduated in June 2015 and needed some time off. I worked mostly full-time through my FNP program so I basically was burned out and exhausted. I traveled the world and came back, passed my certification exam in November 2015 and decided to look for a job. I live in LA but I was planning to move to Tucson, AZ because my fiance had got a job there as an engineer. I looked there for about three months and it was pretty much now what I was expecting. The first place was a cardiology group basically wanted me to work M-F and then one weekend a month (so basically a 12 day straight through once a month), another was an urgent care...90K start but benefits were awful, and then the last place led me on for like three months and ended up hiring a previous ED nurse gone FNP. At that time, I decided to stay in LA as we were both planning on coming/staying here. I got my first job in LA, good benefits/pay, and 6-8 weeks of orientation. It sounded great on paper. Basically it's an observation unit/short stay, we admit from the ED or PACU and discharge the next day. It's been six months and I'm just unhappy. I don't feel like, I'm doing more than being a typewriter. I have found that, I talk to patients for about a total of 1 hour, 1 hour is lunch, and literally the rest is on the computer so like 9-10 hours. I'm not sure if my expectations are unrealistic but, this has sucked the soul out of me. I'm a very social, talkative person so this is very difficult to not have it in my job as well. Also, as I don't ever see who I admit again, it's not very rewarding. Also we work in a team but some attendings don't know what team is and basically swamp the NP's with all the work rather than share the responsibility. This is very inconsistent however because each attending is different. Also I feel like the organization is so heavily medicine ran, NP's don't have the respect or acknowledgement that we deserve. I feel like we are just seen as, a RN with the ability to write orders. Also my schedule, I'm not a night person and I basically was hired as rotating but it turns out, is pretty much all night shift. Anyways, my fiance looks like, he may be transferred to the his company's other branch in Dallas now in February, which by that time I would have two months shy of a year so my plan is to just stick it out till then, but argh. I guess I just feel awful leaving an employer before a year especially when my previous employments, I never left before 2 years (longest was 6 years). But I remember in school, other NPs had said don't stay if you are unhappy. I guess I miss most building relationships with patients and having some continuum. And now, that both the NP and MD have to write notes per patient per day because we aren't allowed to bill, makes me wonder if this organization really knows what to do with us.

Hi Everyone, I just had a question regarding the DEA license process. I've searched around trying to find the answer to this question. Anyways, I'm licensed to practice with furnishing in CA. I applied for my DEA license and I don't have a job yet, so therefore I don't have a business address they have on the application. I was told in class that we could apply before getting a job and other students said the same. However, the DEA emailed me today and they are asking me for a business address not a home address. I'm confused on how you go about getting a DEA license before a job? I looked elsewhere and they said you can have one without a business address just have to update them when you get it. I am just wondering if anyone else has applied for it without having a place to work as a NP. I do have a job currently as an RN so I don't know if I can use it while I'm looking for a job even though I'm not dispensing there? Thanks!!

Hey Everyone! Since I was following this thread so closely, just want to share my experience. I just passed the ANCC exam today. I did no classes and no cds. Studied from two books, one primarily and another as resource for "extra". Do not need anymore conflict in information. Background: I have been very, very casually studying since I graduated in June 2015 from one of the top NP programs in the country. Went on a few vacations but really started grinding away at it, four weeks prior to my exam date. I spent four hours on each system or chapter in the book and made my own study guides. Essentially you are paying the $$$ for classes to make it for you so I felt it was better to retain information doing it myself. I also work full time, part time through my program. It can be done!!! Recommendations: 1.) Primary book: FNP Leik book. $35~ FANTASTIC, forget everything else. It is simple, straightforward. You can cover so much, in very little time. The questions in the back were the best. Way better than the ANCC questions online you pay $$$. Which I did and felt it was such a waste of money. Will talk about in a bit. Also this book covers what you need for the non-clinical questions...but there are nonclinical questions you can't study for on that test. It's just, you know or you don't as a nurse for those questions. Would not start those practice questions in the back of the book however, till you are about 1/2 way through the chapters to get the best bang... skip all women's health/peds questions till you get to the end of the book chapters and then go back and do them. Review all the questions you miss, with a very fine tooth comb. 2.) Fitzgerald Review Book $60~ Great reference for the topics I really don't remember/didn't understand. The questions were.... not as good as Leik but they were okay to review topics I didn't know very well. Review all those common current guidelines. Because they are better than all the books (books don't always have the right info)!! (Plus great graphs/charts) FOR QUESTIONS: DO ALL LEIK BOOK QUESTIONS AND REVIEW THE MISSING ONES. Do not recommend: 1. ANCC exam questions for $100. There were too many grammatical errors... some of the questions were straight from the leik book (how weird). Some very incomplete questions too. Was very disappointed. 2. Listened to one of the tracks of Fitzgerald discs, awful. I respect her, she sounds like an AMAZING nurse practitioner but the cd's, sometimes she goes on this tangent about something or another... very distract. Not helpful. 3. Class? If you fail sure, but it's seriously not necessary if you develop your own study notes and graphs. It's active learning vs. sitting there. Cheers!!

Congratulations everyone on being accepted into UCLA!! Currently enrolled in the FNP track, I'm the newly elected Graduate Student Nurse Association Co-President (APN) and look forward to meeting all of you at orientation. This announcement will be discussed at orientation but GSNA will need a first year APN representative; so think about it :) If anyone has any questions, please feel free to PM me. Again, Congratulations!!

Hey guys, I'm currently in the program. Some classmates I have known did not get their acceptance letter till almost 4 weeks after other students. Like any school, nothing runs smoothly. Don't stress!

In terms of job experience, can never down play hospital setting experience. I think it's the best place to learn how to be a RN as well as exposure to numerous illnesses from simple to complex. Hey guys also, the email came out today with times and everything. Finally, yay!

Is the advanced research class the one we can take if you want in the second half of summer quarter but if you don't take it, it'll be in fall quarter?

Work experience, well, I have a year and a half at a community hospital and another year and a half at a teaching hospital. So total of 3 years. Definitely go to the information session because you will be able to ask the professors and admission questions as well as find out about the application process. I did this and found that it had helped me a great deal in preparing my submission to the school. The one thing I took aware from the session is they stress your statement of purpose as being the strongest part of your file. I'm not sure how much experience you have but, I think it is always worth trying because you will not know otherwise. I never heard anything about the waitlist but I'm sure if you contact admissions, they could give you some insight. I believe, the MECN students are still being accepted off of the waitlist.

I think they are arranging it for us. I went through Ursa and I couldn't find anything.

I haven't received anything either. I emailed to follow up and we should all be getting an email soon regarding the Physical assessment class. I live in Torrance and I don't really plan of moving closer. I am hoping we can find carpool buddies because it would make it -much- easier to get through that traffic.

I have to take the assessment class too! Did you guys get an email about what time you got yet?

Hey for everyone that has got in, do you know what the next step is? I've already filled out all the SLR/SIR.

I have a question, has anyone received the email yet to accept admissions?

@llzz I still haven't received the email yet. They said the graduate division might be a little bit behind the school. I am hoping by Friday it will be up. Anyone else received their link yet? It sounds like none of the acute care candidates have heard back yet so maybe they are the last wave. I know some students that didnt hear back till mid april.

Hey guys, just want to let you know that I received my acceptance letter to the FNP specialty today. I live in LA. My status online said a decision wasn't made yet and no email but I received my letter. So I'm guessing the status online isn't being updated as quickly at the letters are being sent out. My deadline is April 5th. It says I should receive an email though with registration material. Good luck everyone!! The letters are rolling out :)

@murse Which program did you apply for?

Congratulations!! Mine still says waiting for decision for the FNP program. I checked my mail and nothing yet!

Hey Guys, I applied way back in November for the FNP path. I imagine that... we should start to hear something half way through March shortly after the MECN students, since they are probably rolling out letters per program shortly after each other and perhaps it is budget reasons to make sure they get the most they can. Some individuals I know already in the program have told me they didn't hear back till the end of march... another beginning of April! I am very excited... and hoping for the best for all of us!! I am curious how many people they are admitting per program but they never said in the information session from what I remember.

I graduated in May 09, got a job in March '10. I was a very very diligent prospect. Not only sending out resumes but I would find this nurse recruiters and call and email them... it wasn't fun. But I actually got my first job at a job fair. I went to a nurse week job fair, talked a lot... pushed my way through crowds. Met my future (now past) unit director for a small community hospital in a bad part of the city. Talked with her A LOT. Guess it worked? Because I got my job there and worked there for a good year and half, moved on to a better prospect. Where I work now, no one wants to leave... no one is nearing retirement. Stay in the game, go to job fairs...and talk your head off! smile, and show patient care and you can influence good HCAP scores. It's a business, got to know the business side when applying for these jobs.

I've been a nurse for about 2 years and there are definitely some problems in the system. I work in California (but I'm from PA so I've seen those ridiculous ratios) I have a pretty manageable ratio and my hospital does computer charting and all that good stuff. The computer charting should have been a way for us to be with our patients more, easier documentation yada yada, however I find it repetitive. Vital signs are recorded as a nursing intervention, cna paper, on the monitor, in the chart. ...Is that really necessary? Seems kinda a waste of time if you have to chart vitals q2, or q30 min depending on what is going on. Breaks...yeah right. I get a 30 min. lunch and from basically 1:30 to 7:30 break time doesn't exist. They don't make it possible. AND if you go between those hours and try to get a break, you get behind whether it be with your admission or all these charts you need to chart on in the computer. I'm kinda confused... because now the hospital has this thing where we have to AGREE that we got all of our breaks and lunches at work. It's a screen that comes up on the clock in/out machine... that's so nice. And if we say disagree, it's a BIG MESS... not as in you'll ever get the breaks you need, just lots of talking to. I am stressed out with the "extras" in our job, not the patients. If it was patient-focused, this job would be fine because you'd have the time to deal with everything that you needed to deal with. But, now it seems we are focused on hospitality and charting...? How does taking time from the patient effect both of these measures? Seems redundant.

I started off with an ADN in May 09..did not find a job in an acute care facility till April 10, and I moved across the country for it. I immediately got my BSN before I started working. I have found that by advancing my degree, I am respecting the nursing profession and upholding the standards that should be held in the practice. I think it should be an immediate requirement that we continue on towards a bachelors program after graduating. This higher degree, continuously striving towards being higher educated, helps build more respect from patients... notice how differently we get talked to, compared to the pharmacist, PT/OT member? This could seriously change if the nursing profession held at the same educational standard as other disciplines. I don't know how many times I've heard from patients about "my two year degree" negative and positive feedback, until I explain to them No actually I have a four year degree and honestly, it changes. MD respect changes, it's a whole different ball game. And I found all the evidenced based nursing research classes amazing and it really creates a different light on nursing. In edition, speaking of magnet status. I live on the west coast so... yes things run different out here but, I have work in both facilities...and I would never leave my magnet hospital. The respect, support, and everything else in a hand basket far surpasses what I have experienced in a 400 bed community non-magnet hospital that has poor/no nursing profession support and respect. I understand that is may not be everywhere but, just my two cents. It's all about supporting the profession, patients, and receiving the respect that we deserve for a constant ever-changing and demanding line of work.

I've worked in both California and Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania, was pretty much the same deal 8 pt's on 7a and 10 pts on 7p, telemetry, it was stressful, difficult, but all of our assessments and etc. were q4 hours. As long as something, not unexpected occured, like a code, it went fine but awful otherwise. I felt at night, with 20 pt's on the unit, 10 pt's per RN and only two RN's on the floor wasn't necessary safe staffing, with no CNA. In California, it's true we have the safe nurse to patient ratios. I'm on a cardiac step down and I have three patients but everything is q2 hours. So you are still always busy and when the doctors come in, there are always a ton of orders. But not stressful, but it is busy.

I had ASHI certifications in both and when I got hired at the hospital I'm at now they said they wouldn't take it and I had to go do both through the AHA. They said even though ASHI goes by AHA guidelines, they still want it through AHA. So... save yourself the money (unlike what happened to me) and just go through AHA in the beginning. It is preferred.

Oh okay, Thanks. I'll do that then. :)

Hello. I recently got a position at a hospital that is requiring me to do the pre-employment drug test. Now, I had surgery back on April 2nd and was prescribed Darvocet and I medicated obviously for the pain till April 4th. Now, since I have to submit a urine sample on Thursday, I'm concerned that this may cause some problems? I'm not sure... But do you think I should let the HR manager know that when it comes back, it might come up and the reason was I had a prescription for it after surgery? Or just leave it alone and assume, it won't come up? I'm not quite sure how to go about this situation.